Makeup Reviews Part 1/2- Eyes- Eyelash Curler And Mascara

I'm so sorry for the delay of this entry. When I was writing this entry I realised that I forgot the prices... so until I got the (estimated) prices I delayed posting this up. So yeah... enjoy, I guess XD

Part 2 of my makeup reviews will go to the eye section and Part 1/2 will be reviewing my eyelash curler and mascaras. I've decided to seperate the eye section a little. Part 2/2 will most likely cover the rest of my stuff- eyeliners and eye makeup remover.

As mentioned, I'm not exactly a great makeup user, and I still don't know how to use eyeshadow! So yeah... there won't be any great eyeshadow reviews here. At least not for now. I'll try to learn :P



I curl my lashes first with this baby. It's the Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler, and it retails for RM 60. Quite pricey, although stil cheaper compared to Shiseido The Makeup's curler- If I am not mistaken, since the Shiseido counter I asked at 1 Utama's Jusco pointed out two different types to me. One was cheaper and darker in colour (e.g. bronze-ish) while the other more expensive one mentioned was silver like this one. It was quite difficult trying to take a decent photo of the curler though XD I can't compare it to the Shiseido curlers though, but I have used cheap, drugstore curlers before and I do have difficulty curling the lashes in my inner corner of my eye with them and experience pinching and not-so-thorough curling.



I have quite long lashes, but they're usually droopy and make me look sleepy, so curlers do help me make me look more awake. However, Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler fits perfectly around my eye socket and comfortably curls every single one of my lashes without fear of pinching and the like. It's also very ergonomic to hold and use and you don't have to hold the curler for long- just press gently, release a little and press gently again for about five times (For me) and voila! Curled lashes that looks au naturel. I said five times, but I have repeated it up to 10 (When I first used it) and the results are still the same. The curl on the lashes lasts the whole day too. I find they go back to normal only after I sleep at night and wake up :P



My mascaras are Deja Vu Fibrewig Paint On False Lashes in Pure Black and L'Oreal Telescopic Clean in Black. Both are my favourite mascaras and sometimes there are days when I can't decide which mascara to use, as both are, in my opinion, good. Although admittedly, both have their own pros and cons and all which I will elaborate further.



This is how the brush for the L'Oreal Telescopic Clean mascara looks like. Instead of those bushy bushy brushes you get a nice, clean (In a sense that you don't see leftover/dried up mascara gunk), albeit short-bristled plastic applicator wand. However, true to its looks and name, it gives a very clean and not to mention simple application to the lashes. It can even reach and coat the lashes on the corners of your eyes due to its rather small wand size, and dries quickly.

My lashes stay relatively curled for hours afterwards with no clumps, and removing them is the best part. Either you wash them off with warm water, literally, or you can use a cotton pad with eye makeup remover and gently rub them off. They come off like little bits of plastic film, for lack of better words to describe them, whether on cotton pad or washed off with warm water. They do kind of leave streaks under your eyes when you wash it with warm water but they're easily removed with more water/eye makeup remover too :) So yeah, I really love how easy it is to remove this mascara.

L'Oreal Telescopic Clean is available at most pharmacies, e.g. Guardian or Watson's for RM 33.90, although you can get it cheaper if they have discounts which I believe is quite often.



And this is the brush for the Deja Vu Fibrewig Paint On False Lashes mascara. You can see the small little fibres on the brush that will coat your lashes and elongate them, but not to blow my own trumpet, I have relatively long lashes so they don't really make too much of a difference to me. I have problems coating my inner lashes with this brush though, but I guess that's what the Deja Vu Tiny Sniper mascara is for (Or so I heard!). Another thing is that this mascara is different in a sense that you apply mascara BEFORE curling. I usually curl my lashes first then apply mascara, but then it kind of "weighed" my lashes down. So I tried applying it first, waiting for it to dry (Which is really quick) before curling, and lashes stay curled instead. I believe this is also mentioned in My Women Stuff if I'm not mistaken :x

It's just as easy to remove as the L'Oreal Telescopic Clean mascara. However, I would say that L'Oreal Telescopic Clean is my favourite mascara, since it can curl even my baby lashes and I like the wand better since it's easier to control and won't leave marks on my eyelids :P

Deja Vu Fibrewig Paint On False Lashes mascara is available at Sasa or Guardian pharmacies. I've not seen them in Watson's, so correct me if I'm wrong here. Retails for about RM 50+.

An interesting note is that the makeup artist that did me for my recent Money Talk filming project (Shegar also used to do makeup for VJs for MTV Asia) used this mascara on me!

The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Foundation Review + Others

It's my 22nd birthday today! :D I feel old.



Reiterating from my previous post about The Body Shop's new mineral makeup collection, I have been using the mineral foundation since then, and now I think it should be the ripe time to review it. Turns out that I bought it right on the day it launched! @.@



The foundation shade I am using is 01. It's not very very light as I would have expected a shade 01 foundation to be, nor was it dark. It suited my skin tone just nicely without changing the tone. I also found that the texture of the powder was really very fine, as also mentioned in the previous post. Coverage wise it's good- sheer but buildable to a heavier coverage shall you need/want it to. I find that around 2-3 full dustings around my face does the job nicely. It's also not "shimmery" compared to the other mineral foundations I've tried (e.l.f. and Laura Mercier, which seems to "shimmer" and thus draws attention to my pores instead!) and gives quite a matte yet radiant, glowy effect and finish without the pore-attention-drawing. My skin does look healthier and I've had comments saying that my skin looks better!



A close up of the interior of the foundation. Here you can see the mesh-like net instead of normal holes as the sifter. It's really very unique and handy in a sense that it minimises wastage and spillage when trying to get the foundation powder, as it dispenses just about the right amount of powder onto the top. Or at least I don't experience powder pouring/spilling out when you tip the jar, shake it a bit and then open it. You also don't "poke" the foundation back into the sifter holes when using a brush... not like it's a problem, but just an observation XD



In my previous post I've mentioned that the brush is incredibly soft with very dense bristles, but upon using it I found that it sheds quite a lot of hair during application. I've washed it (And it's drying at the moment- should take some time since it's so dense), but no hairs seem to have shed during the wash. It's pretty annoying to pull the stray, falling-off and shed hairs from the brush, from my face and/or from the foundation jar, but otherwise it does feel soft on the skin and doesn't irritate it. Ease of usage is good- it allows me to buff the foundation around my face nicely and evenly.



This is my current and favourite kabuki brush, which is from Everyday Minerals. Granted, the brushes are not as dense as The Body Shop, but it's incredibly soft and very user-friendly in a sense that it's really very nice to use. It's survived several washes and the usage of different powders, and it hasn't shed a single strand of hair @.@ I've used it with The Body Shop's mineral foundation as well, and it also does the job nicely. I bought this for RM 45 from a seller in LowYat.NET and it's very worth the price! I've been wanting another one for about 4 months now :x



After using The Body Shop's mineral foundation I dust a light layer of Make Up For Ever's Super Matte Loose Powder. It really helps keep my skin matte and healthy-looking when combined with the mineral foundation, but I shall a more detailed review of the product sometime soon ;) I use a duo fibre face brush from Etude House to apply it, but I'm not very satisfied with it and am currently eyeing the 187 Duo Fibre Face Brush from M.A.C. The reason I am using such a brush is because application is lightweight and more natural as compared to when using a kabuki brush, which makes quite a thick, powdery-looking layer due to the buffing and all.



I then finish my whole makeup routine with a light spritz of Eau Thermale Avene, as recommended by the pamphlet at the very start of the post (Although it mentions mineral water) :P It really does help "fix" the makeup and keeps the shinies at bay for much longer, whilst adding a healthy, natural-looking radiance and glow to the skin. Perhaps it's the minerals in the water that "adheres" to the minerals in the foundation and reacts in such a way. I don't know, I'm just being scientific here because of my educational background XD It's also definitely cheaper to use than M.A.C's Fix+ at RM 18.90 at all major pharmacies such as Guardian and Watson's.

Removal of all these is quite a cinch. I don't really need to use a makeup remover, I just cleanse my face with my Dermalogica's Ultracalming Cleanser (I've stopped using the Essential Cleansing Solution as it was too rich for me and made my skin oily) and it cleans off very well compared to when I was using my previous foundations. Goes to show that mineral makeup truly is fuss free!

The Body Shop Nature's Minerals Collection

It seems as though no one has mentioned this yet at the time of my writing this post, and even I didn't know about it until I walked past The Body Shop at MidValley Megamall earlier today!



My only foray into mineral makeup was through e.l.f.'s mineral makeup range quite some time ago, which I didn't really enjoy because their foundation and concealer didn't have a matte finish and thus the "shimmer" kind of emphasised my rather large pores back then.

Since then I have always been on a lookout for a good mineral makeup range. L'Oreal came out with their mineral makeup range but I was quite put off by their bulky packaging and their brush which feels incredibly stiff. Revlon also recently came out with a mineral makeup range, but I wasn't too inclined to try it either for some reason.

However, I've always loved The Body Shop products and have always been wishing they'd come out with their own mineral makeup range. Looks like my wish has come true! :P



The Body Shop's Nature's Minerals range has foundation, blusher and eyeshadow, and being the minimalist makeup person I decided to get just the foundation. Look at how pretty and decadent-looking the packaging for the items are!



According to the sales representative that served me, the foundation has 6 shades, but they had only shades 01, 02, 04 and 05 available. I was recommended shade 01, the lightest shade, which came as a surprise to me as I normally use shade 03 for their loose powder. To my surprise, shade 01 suited me quite nicely with a slightly pinkish tinge, while shade 02 was more brownish. I'll have to try it on for a few more days before I can really comment on the foundation completely though.

It's not pictured but the sifter for the mineral foundation, instead of being holes like normal powder sifter jars, is actually a mesh-like net. I find it unique. The texture of the powder is also fine, very fine. It's comparable to the fineness of Make Up For Ever Super Matte Loose Powder (Which I also have and will review). Prior to purchasing The Body Shop's Nature's Minerals foundation I have tried Revlon's and Laura Mercier's mineral foundations, but didn't really like them compared to The Body Shop's. Revlon's was nice but lost in terms of powder texture, and Laura Mercier's was shimmery, which I didn't like.



The kabuki brush for the foundation. It's one of the softest brush I have ever touched and the bristles are incredibly dense. Feels very nice against the skin. It even comes with its own pouch for storage, which is really wonderful! That's all I can say for now about the brush. I will have to do a re-review after I've tried the products on for a few days obviously :P I already have one kabuki brush from Everyday Minerals and I love it a lot too!

The foundation alone costs RM 99 and the brush RM 79, but they're having a promotion in which you buy both for only RM 147.90! Really worth giving it a try I'd say. I'm not sure if the other The Body Shop outlets have it yet, as I went to the one at The Curve yesterday and they didn't have it, so yeah.

Semi-Hiatus

As mentioned in topic. I am on a holiday in Labuan and K.K. with my sweetheart and family. Updates will resume as soon as I return, which is by end of August :)

How Vain Am I?

I've decided to take this little quiz while reading the archives of My Women Stuff :P

You Are 65% Vain

You're a little vain, but you also work hard for your good looks. Just remember, everyone knows you are a total hottie. You don't have to remind them.

How Vain Are You?

Here are the questions and what I think of them and how I answer them:

1. You check out your reflection in windows.
- Always. I always check to see if there's any shine on my face, if there's anything stuck between my teeth, etc. Sometimes when there are mirrors around I'd just admire myself and if possible assess how I look in my clothes that day too. Yeah. A very vain thing to do :P

2. Your closet is chock full of the latest styles, even if your credit card suffers for it a little.
- Never. I shop for clothes and styles that SUIT and fit me, and I don't follow fashion trends. That's why I never have trapeze dresses or bubble skirts/dresses even if they're in the vogue at that particular time. Simply put it they just don't fit me, so I'm not and won't be getting them... despite racks and racks of them everywhere.

3. You buy tons of personal care products, from expensive moisturisers to specialty shampoo.
- Always. Guilty as charged. I attribute this to the fact that I am curious person and my skin condition has been rather temperamental to say the least, hence the tendency of trying out different brands and such. Regarding hair, I used to have really frizzy hair that was neither straight nor wavy/curly, then I had them straightened but hated the regrowth period, so now they're permanently permed. Hence the "specialty" shampoo and styling products bit >_>

4. You dream of being a movie star or model.
- Sometimes. Who doesn't really? :x I'd like to be more of a model, but I don't have the height (I'm about 5'3") and my looks are pretty single tracked- as in I usually only have one expression that looks presentable on camera, or so I am always told. Plus, being a model is tiring. That said, I have been doing a bit of modeling for a friend lately... (Re: Tiring part)

5. If you started to lose your looks, your self esteem would likely suffer.
- Always. I used to have severe acne back when I was in my teens. So severe that I had to go for facials twice a week to rescue my skin, but *Touch wood* thankfully it did work and my acne was cured. Having people stating the obvious that you have severe acne problems isn't very pleasant, hence the paranoia. Even now I am not without skin problems (Especially enlarged pores!) and when I have minor breakouts I do kind of tend to panic. Although my skin has improved by a lot, it does affect my self-esteem, so if I started losing my looks I would be very sad.

6. If you weren't happy with your looks in some way, you would consider cosmetic surgery.
- Sometimes. I have rather "droopy" eyes (Eyes that "droop" at the ends), which even Mum comments upon, so I have considered going for surgery to rectify that. I have even considered cosmetic surgery for my nose and improvement (More of an enhancement) of my side profile (Which I dislike). But the urge isn't serious enough to get me doing them, and I'm just comfortable with the way I am for now.

7. You wear designer underwear.
- Sometimes. It makes a woman feel decadent and sexy sometimes ;)

8. Besides showering, it takes you at least 20 minutes to get dressed and primped for the day.
- Always. 20 minutes alone on average for my skincare, from cleansing to BB cream and foundation. However, the time also may include the application of eyeliner and/or mascara and wearing contact lenses, so it's pretty dependent really.

9. You enjoy getting your picture taken.
- Rarely. I'm pretty camera-shy (Re: model question) and don't really like the way I look on photos most of the time :x

10. If you see someone of your gender who is hot, you immediately start silently critiquing them.
- Sometimes. I can be a bitch at times :(

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant

This is one Dermalogica product that left me in a state of awe for it. It is supposed to be a scrub for exfoliation. According the the Dermalogica website:

" This unique, Rice-based enzyme powder activates upon contact with water, releasing Papain, Salicylic Acid and Rice Enzymes to smooth the skin and accelerate cell renewal. Our unique Skin Brightening Complex of Rice Bran, Salicylic Acid, Green Tea, Grapefruit and Licorice helps to balance uneven skin pigmentation. Papain and other active agents derived from Rice Bran and Rice Extract help to regulate melanin production while micro-exfoliating dead cells. A super-soothing blend of Green Tea, Ginkgo and Colloidal Oatmeal calms inflammation, leaving the skin extraordinarily clear and refreshed. Gentle enough to use on a daily basis. Contains no artificial fragrance or color. Professional recommendation advised.

How It Works:

• Rice Bran and Rice Starch gently microfoliate skin surface to facilitate penetration of the Skin Brightening Complex.
• Papain Enzyme and Salicylic Acid help dissolve excess surface cells.
• Skin Brightening Complex of Rice Bran, Salicylic Acid, Green Tea, Grapefruit and Licorice helps even skin tone."

Let's see now. First of all, the packaging for the product, in my opinion, looks cheap-ish. The impression it gives me it that it looks like a cheap normal plastic container of some imitation bottle, as compared to the packaging for the cleansers which looks more "high class" and nicer. But that's my opinion anyway.

This exfoliant comes in powder form. Yes. Powder. Basically what you do with it is cleanse your face with a Dermalogica cleanser (Or any other cleanser really), wash off, then pour a bit of this powder into your hands, add a but of water, rub them together to form a milky-looking liquid and apply it to the face just like washing again. Directions say that it's best to massage into skin for about a minute. It's really very unique in a way- it does not feel like a scrub at all since it's so fine, but upon washing off the skin really does feel as though you have scrubbed/exfoliated it so it does work. Another thing to note is that it smells like... rice. Rice being the main ingredient of it, it really does smell like it XD These few factors are what left me in awe of it.

It really does a good job of exfoliating without being harsh on the skin- in fact, you can barely feel the exfoliation until after rinsing off since it's that fine. So yeah, if you prefer large, rough-ish granules in your scrub this wouldn't be a scrub for you. My gripe with this product would also be dispensing (Just like the cleansers)- it's either too much or too little, which can lead to wastage :(

Despite it's name of Daily Microfoliant, it's best to use it at most twice a week. I don't think anyone has actually recommended its use as a daily cleanser. For my skin condition though, I only use it once a week. Dermalogica (Or at least Fion, my consultant) suggests a at most a twice weekly routine of cleansing > exfoliating > mask > toner > moisturiser, but I've yet to get the Dermalogica mask I want... so yeah. But either way for me it's going to be a once a week thing as overdoing it would just aggravate my skin condition further and that would be defeating the purpose.

Daily Microfoliant is available at Dermalogica salons (e.g. Leonard Drake) for RM 212 for a 75 g bottle. Pricey indeed. But I got mine from Rayanne of LowYat.NET so it was very much cheaper for me :P

Dermalogica Cleansers

Urgh. Been caught up with work and all that, hence the lack of updates.

In the meantime, I am a true Dermalogica fan now. I've always wanted to try out the brand but could never justify their price... but seeing how I'm displeased with my skin condition decided to just go ahead (I've mentioned this in my previous post) :P Anyway, in this post I will review the Dermalogica cleansers that I am using. I've been using them for about a week already (Religiously along with my other Dermalogica products), and I have seen a marked improvement in my skin condition.



We have the Ultracalming Cleanser and the Essential Cleansing Solution to review here. I use the Essential Cleansing Solution for daytime, and the Ultracalming Cleanser for night. Reason being the Ultracalming Cleanser removes any traces of pollution or trigger factors that may have accumulated on the skin during the course of the day, while the Essential Cleansing Solution is for my dehydrated-ish skin condition which also needs attention.

The Essential Cleansing Solution, according to the Dermalogica website:

"A milky cleanser for drier skin conditions to gently lift impurities and remove make-up. Water-soluble, this soothing emulsion rinses off easily, leaving the skin refreshingly clean, soft and supple. Contains no artificial fragrance or color. Professional recommendation advised.

How It Works:

• Natural Safflower Oil softens and conditions skin.
• Antioxidant vitamins C and E smooth and condition the skin.
• Mild astringents, extracts of Rosemary and Lemon, refresh tired skin."

The first impression I got from this was that the smell and texture reminds me of melted butter! Well, not exactly like cow's butter and not exactly strong, but you get the idea. It's really creamy rather than milky as described, and goes on soft and smooth on skin (Really like butter). If you're the kind that likes a good foamy lather, this is not for you. However, washing off does not leave a filmy residue like "uncleansed" skin that you sometimes get with milky cleansers but rather this washes off cleanly and skin feels hydrated and supple afterwards. I even use it to wash around my eye area, but gently of course. Doesn't really work well to remove even light facial makeup though- if you have light makeup on I'd still recommend you to remove it first before cleansing, although I am not sure about eye makeup but I wouldn't count on it. Pores doesn't seem to be obviously minimised though.

Overall it works well combating against my skin's dehydration as I can really feel an improvement in my skin's hydration levels. Normally after washing my face (But not immediately after) before toning my skin would start to feel a bit dry and you can see little dry skin flakes on it. After using this cleanser the problem has minimised by a lot, but it hasn't completely gone away yet XD Skin tends to look more dewy rather than oily later in the day, but still, a bit of blotting solves the problem.

Essential Cleansing Solution is available at Dermalogica salons (e.g. Leonard Drake) for RM 149 for a 250 ml bottle.

The Ultracalming Cleanser, according to the Dermalogica website:

" An extremely-gentle cleansing gel-cream that combats environmental assault with Dermalogica's exclusive Anti-Ozonate Complex. Protects and soothes skin sensitized by pollution, temperature extremes, irritating cosmetic products, harsh detergents, chemical exposure, stress, poor diet or hormonal factors. Also contains Lavender, Echinacea and Raspberry extracts for their anti-inflammatory, calming and healing properties. This cleanser is effective enough to remove eye make-up, and can be either rinsed off or gently removed with cotton. Leaves no irritating residue and is formulated for even the most hypersensitive skin that cannot tolerate water. Contains no artificial fragrance or color. Professional recommendation advised.

How It Works

• Anti-Ozonate Complex helps to shield skin from environmental assault.
• Lavender, Echinacea, Raspberry and Cucumber extracts help calm the skin.
• Panthenol (Pro-Vitamin B5) help heal irritated skin."

This gel-cream-based cleanser is milkier compared to Essential Cleansing Solution, and like Essential Cleansing Solution, doesn't lather or foam too. I've not tried wiping it off with cotton as I prefer washing off with water, and this cleanser doesn't leave a residue on the skin after washing either. After washing any redness on the face is instantly diminished and my skin feels soft and smooth. This cleanser also effectively minimises pores after washing! Also doesn't really work well to remove even light facial makeup, so remove makeup properly :P Not so sure about eye makeup as I prefer using the proper remover instead, but this cleanser also can be used to cleanse around the eye area. The scent is pretty normal for this one- more lavender-ish really, but doesn't really leave a strong impression on me and neither does the the texture of it. It's just like a milky cleanser.

I find that the Ultracalming Cleanser really works well in battling my skin problems in the area of enlarged pores and sensitivity as my face looks less red (With less itches as well) and pores do look very minimised after cleansing. Skin remains pretty matte after usage too. If I had to choose I would prefer this cleanser more for the obvious reasons :x But then, my skin is also dehydrated, and although this cleanser does help up my moisture level, it's not as much compared to the Essential Cleansing Solution.

Ultracalming Cleanser is also available at Dermalogica salons (e.g. Leonard Drake) at RM 152 for a 250 ml bottle.

My only "gripe" about the cleansers are that it can be quite hard to squeeze out the proper and required amount of cleanser needed. Sometimes I squeeze out too much and sometimes too little. Not a lot is required, but still, I don't want to waste them T.T